Fort Bliss community to get money management advice

Members of the Fort Bliss community will have a chance to learn how to handle their money more effectively at a conference next week.

The Military Saves Financial Symposium will be from 9 a.m. to noon Thursday at the 1st Armored Division Chapel, 11272 Biggs.

The event is free. It is open to active-duty military, National Guard and reservists, retired military, civilian employees at the installation and their families.

"We are all taught how to make a living," said Zenaida Gutierrez, a personal financial readiness specialist at Fort Bliss. "The ability to manage money wasn't something we were born with. Coming to this type of event can enhance your abilities."

Military Saves is an annual campaign conducted throughout the Department of Defense, and similar conferences will be at U.S. military installations around the world, Gutierrez said.

"What better time of year to do this?" Gutierrez said. "It's tax time."

The Fort Bliss conference is being organized by Financial Readiness, one of about a dozen Army Community Service programs.

Gutierrez said she'd like to eliminate the stigma that is sometimes associated with getting help from the Financial 0Readiness Program.

"You don't have to be in trouble to get some help," she said.

Financial Readiness provides a wide range of financial classes throughout the year and it offers education, counseling and support services to help soldiers and their families with diverse financial needs, according to the program's literature.

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Attendees will have their choice of two financial classes at the conference. One is on building wealth. It will be taught by a representative from the El Paso Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.

Gutierrez described this class as "awesome," saying it will provide participants with useful information on setting financial goals, the importance of savings, paying off debt and improving their credit score.

The other class will cover the basics of investing and retirement savings, including the new Roth option for the federal Thrift Savings Plan.

Maj. Gen. Dana J.H. Pittard, the commander of Fort Bliss and the 1st Armored Division, will attend and sign a proclamation supporting the importance of saving and debt reduction.

Participants can also receive free credit reports and scores during the conference.

On-post and El Paso community organizations will have booths at the event and will provide information on the services and classes that are available to help the military community improve their finances.